Concise Minutes

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	John Griffiths AM (Chair) Dawn Bowden AM Huw Irranca-Davies AM Mark Isherwood AM Leanne Wood AM
Witnesses:	Lyn Cadwallader, One Voice Wales Robert Robinson, Secretary, North Wales Association of Town and Larger Community Councils Elan Closs Stephens, Electoral Commission in Wales) Rhydian Thomas, Electoral Commission Mark Galbraith, The Society of Local Council Clerks Rob Smith, The Society of Local Council Clerks Rhys George, Association of Electoral Administrators Ian Westley, Wales Electoral Coordination Board Catherine Fookes
Committee Staff:	Naomi Stocks (Clerk) Catherine Hunt (Second Clerk) Yan Thomas (Deputy Clerk) Osian Bowyer (Researcher) Jennifer Cottle (Legal Adviser) Stephen Davies (Legal Adviser)

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members and members of the public to the meeting.

1.2 Apologies for absence were received from Caroline Jones AM.

2 Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill: evidence session 9

2.1 The Committee received evidence from:

· Elan Closs Stephens CBE, Electoral Commissioner, Electoral Commission in Wales

· Rhydian Thomas, Head of Electoral Commission, Electoral Commission in Wales

· Rhys George, Chair, Association of Electoral Administrators Wales

· Ian Westley, Wales Electoral Coordination Board

2.2 During the evidence session, Ian Westley agreed to share a report on Pembrokeshire Council’s ‘Democracy and Champions’ event with the Committee.

Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill: evidence session 10

3.1 The Committee received evidence from:

· Lyn Cadwallader, Chief Executive, One Voice Wales

· Robert Robinson, Secretary to the North and Mid Wales Association of Local Councils

· Rob Smith, Chief Executive, The Society of Local Council Clerks

· Mark Galbraith, Wales Policy Officer, The Society of Local Council Clerks

4 Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill: evidence session 11

4.1 The Committee received evidence from:

5 Papers to note

5.1 Correspondence from Tracey Burke, Welsh Government to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee regarding town and community councils in Wales - 11 December 2020

5.1a The Committee noted the correspondence from Tracey Burke, Welsh Government to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee regarding town and community councils in Wales.

5.2 Correspondence from Martin Peters, Wales Audit Office regarding the Local Government & Elections (Wales) Bill - 6 January 2020

5.2a The Committee noted the correspondence from Martin Peters, Wales Audit Office regarding the Local Government & Elections (Wales) Bill.

5.3 Correspondence from the Temporary Chair of the Public Accounts Committee regarding the Local Government and Elections (Wales Bill) - 8 January 2020

5.3a The Committee noted the correspondence from the Temporary Chair of the Public Accounts Committee regarding the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill.

6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (vi) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of today's meeting and item 1 of the meeting on 23 January

6.1 The Committee agreed the motion.

7 Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill: consideration of evidence

7.1 The Committee discussed the evidence received under item 2,3 and 4.

8 Consideration of correspondence relating to Assembly electoral reform

8.1 The Committee discussed and agreed their response to the correspondence sent from the Committee on Assembly Electoral Reform.

Concise Minutes - Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee